Chapter 16

Oh! Good Morning to You, too

After both Sean and Emma drunkenly stumbled from the cab to the pavement. Their laughable steps and missteps were counted and miscounted as they tended to sort of fall to the ground in their drunken messes they seemed to call walking. Emma grew fed up with her heels and picked them up off the pavement as the cab driver sped away.

Finally the pair made it back inside the warmth of the lobby entrance. The late-night doorman snickered at the sight of them. Emma led the way to the steps as Sean was awkwardly trailing closely behind her getting looks from the regulars that Emma managed to pay no mind to. After they spent a few minutes in the cab together it managed to sort of escalate from there. They simply couldn't wait to get inside, tear of each others clothes without a care in the world.

After the night they had, one could only assume the pent-up aggression and tension in the romantic entanglements of their friends driving some odd wedge between them. Plus the time they spent apart made them even more into one another. She hastily turned to face Sean and the door careful enough not to twist her ankle as she quickly removed her heels and kicked them out-of-the-way leaping toward Sean and into his arms. He was able to lift her as she adjusted herself in his arms. As she grew more comfortable she pulled him by his shirt into a sweet yet passionate kiss, which Sean gleefully accepted stroking her cheek with his free hand. Thinking he was being helpful, he flipped on the switch which was right by his hand to which Emma broke away from the kiss and shook her head with a smirk raising an eyebrow. It was all the convincing he would ever need and with that he flipped the switch back off. Causing Emma to adjust herself nestling her head between his neck and his shoulders giving him a soft kiss on his neck before looking up at him, leaning closer and touching her nose to his, "Manny's staying at Jay's tonight, so we have the bedroom to ourselves."

He wasn't complaining that he was holding her, in fact he enjoyed it and although he might boast that he worked out a lot she was pretty light by weight lifting standards. Sean pulled her even closer to him between kisses, "So that means what?"

"Don't be silly, love . . " Sean knew what she was getting at but he just wanted to hear her say it. Emma in a seductive whisper, she teased, "Whatever you want."

"And what do I want?" Sean asked standing beside her as she took off her expensive jewelery like earrings and necklace with some cute pendant on it and placed them on her side table in her entry way, before she turned her attention back to Sean,

"I'm reading you again, love."

Emma hopped from Sean giving him a bit of a break some-what inferring she he'd need after they were through. Emma pulled her keys out of the door and shut and locked their house door and they both in an embrace raced to the bedroom. While Sean was busy removing his button-up shirt Emma looked in her vanity mirror with her face sort of scrunched and attempted to get the zipper but to no avail. She tried a few different ways but just grew irritated, "Sean could you help me?"

Sean snickered nodding his head looking down at himself noticing he was about half-way through with his buttons finally noticed Emma struggling with her dress. Sean, using his hands clenched hold of the zipper and made a downward motion.

She aided him by pulling down her dress revealing herself to him. As her dress lay at her feet like a pool he forged a trail of kisses from the bottom of her spine all the way up to her neck and then from her neck to her cheek and then finally her lips after much anticipation causing her body to get chills all over in the best possible way.

She was too dazed to do much about the fabric at her feet. As the couple continued kissing increasingly more and more passionately while they stood before each other. Emma enveloped her arms around him softly, pulling him closer to her. Emma finally stepped out of her dress and breathlessly went to work as she removed the tricky and stubborn buttons on Sean's shirt as it fell onto the floor long she kissed him once again.

He laughed a bit at the immense and intense struggle it was to remove every article and how the movies often made it easier than in life. Then Emma crashed her body into his and was finally able to focus on him solely without the distraction of clothes. Throughout the night there were drinking, dancing and sweat still glistening from their drunken bodies. For the remaining he decided to change things up with his teeth, he removed the other remaining distractions of clothing. He pulled the rest down with his fingers and she helped with the rest. The bedroom light was dim, to the eye they resembled silhouettes, blending together on occasion like a night like tonight for two people who had never been more distant finally feel like one unison voice. Call it soul mates. Call it whatever you please, but that night was more than just their first time, that was special on another level but this was them overcoming that adversity of everyone saying never again and here they are.

Sean gently toss her slender body onto the bed, she inched backward like a crab toward the pillow, almost sitting down while they were both at the bare minimum. Sean kissed her neck sensual causing Emma to whip her head back onto her pillow she pulled his shoulders toward her lightly raking her fingers up his back.

Although they were intoxicated they were also entranced in the moment together. Their instincts took over as their hands wandered across their bodies removing any and all remaining articles of clothing from one another. As Sean propped her up against the bed with his hands he massaged her thigh with small circular motions, which sent her in a tailspin leading her to react by squirming everywhere like silly putty in his hands.

Emma just looked at him lovingly as he pulled away for a moment to breathe and all she heard was, in low whispers "I love you."

Emma beamed with an incandescent way about her with her hazel-brown eyes dancing and glistening even more when he confessed his feelings, it just made the moment all the more special all the more real, a quiet "I love you too," managed to escape from her lips.

Sean kissed her lips affectionately before he moved to her neck as Emma pulled him closer to her over her bare breasts for comfort and for warmth it was just something amazing to her even have him near, "You looked great tonight."

"Thank-you." He was over top over now still attentive to her wants and needs. Emma arched her back and ready for the inevitable. Sean took the romantic lead as Emma collapsed onto the bed followed by him atop her. They simply focused on each other now and everything else was out the window.

Emma moaned as his motions increased inside of her, she still impulsively raked her fingers down his back seductively as he slowly picked up the pace causing her to pull him closer and closer on top of her pulling him into yet another kiss. As he pulled away he whispered, "How's this?"

She silently nodded, looking him in the eyes biting her lips, escaping a smile although clearly preoccupied in him, "Perfect."

Nothing mattered in those short, sweet and tender moments they shared, getting acquainted and acquainted with one another without cares, fears of inhibitions. They spent the evening getting to know the other both intimately and romantically in ways each of them never initially thought would be possible, that there was more that met the eye. They took their time, drawing out the end degree. They had no reason to rush. No time to waste as they remained dedicated to one another. Perhaps it had always been like this or perhaps it hadn't but it was a brand new start, fantastic, romantic and real.

There weren't any regrets to speak of, it was just them, together entangled in the other like a vine of ivy never to be separated from the other just like a dream.

. . .

The next morning, Mr. Edwards opened the door of the condo he knew to be sharing with an old friend of his daughter named Spinner or Gavin rather and his daughter, Darcy. When he opened the door he jolted back at what he saw in disgust, her daughter, nude on top of her boyfriend, fast asleep. She had a blanket, there was a cascade of clothes strewn to and fro beside them, his tatted arm was wrapped around his daughter. He threw a tee-shirt at the sleeping couple quickly and quietly making his way through the door shaking his head. Disappointed, most likely at his daughters recently unpredictable behavior. Before Mr. Edwards was a pastor as he served the church for many years he went to work as a stock broker for a very fine company that made a lot of money. Enough money to have a condo by the shores and a house in the suburbs. Of course the house is no longer his, as noted in the divorce proceedings. He still occasionally will talk to his daughter but he mostly visits her in the hospital, during after hours. While she is asleep. Darcy fights her mother's disappointed glares as she makes her best efforts with Darcy. Clare was overjoyed when her sister came along home after so many years specifically for her.

The sun was shining, to add dramatic effect he opened the windows that faced the couch causing Darcy to instantly wake up, opening her eyes slowly and cover her eyes from the disheartening glare of the television, she saw the tee-shirt on her arm and put it on herself as well as her panties on the floor. She saw her father's briefcase. She saw her short shorts under the couch from earlier in the summer. She threw those on for good measure before she went to see her dad, she presumed it was her dad. He's the only person who has keys to the condo.

"When I said no girls, I meant for you no boys." He called from the kitchen, appearing through a small opening in the wall between the kitchen and the living room. On the television, he also saw the DVD menu for the movie they had failed to watch White Christmas. "Ah White Christmas. Now that definitely calls for a celebration, dear."

"Dad when did you come in?" Darcy asked in exclamation, still removing the sticky tears from the morning in her corners of her eyes, getting perturbed by a peculiar lingering stuck to her skin eyelash.

"Just a minute ago." He answered retrieving his favorite non stick well used pan putting it on one of the burners atop the stove.

Darcy scoffed embarrassingly enough that he was convinced by her repentance, "I'm really sorry dad. I didn't know when you were coming home."

"This won't happen anymore, you hear me? Am I clear?"

"Yes, father." Darcy said, her head down like a little girl who just got a stern talking to by her father or authority figures in an elementary sector of school.

He gave her a smile, "He seems . . nice enough. His name officially for the record?"

"Gavin, I just call him Spinner."

"And does this Spinner have a job?"

Darcy hesitated before shaking her head, "You don't understand, he was homeless, dad. I couldn't leave him like that. He needed some serious help. I couldn't. Besides, dad we have a history that we -"

"From the looks of it, Darc, it doesn't seem like history. It seems like today's news." Darcy's dad took out the various breakfast makings mixing bowl for pancakes, he started scrambling the eggs in a plate with a whisk.

"What are you doing, you like never cook."

"Well it's not everyday we have a guest, and we're adding a new member of our household. Why don't you wake him up? I promise I won't say a word. Mr. Edwards assured Darcy that all was good, he got a reaction out of her, and that she was still honest and true regardless if she's no longer a virgin. At least all dad's assume their daughters are less likely to get around, "Go on, I'm not mad."

Darcy was skeptical, throughout childhood her dad has been anything but lenient or laid back. He was strict, old-fashioned but today had already went smoothly. She questioned him, "You approve, then?"

Mr. Edwards shrugged waving a spatula at her, "Now do I have to answer twice, yes."

Darcy squealed joyously and ran to the couch to wake Spinner. He groaned and moaned and turned around to face her, "What time is it?" His eyes weren't yet opened he groaned about getting his bearing as Darcy shook him.

"It's morning, my dad is home and he wasn't to have breakfast."

He got up quick. Covering his shirtless body looking around for his clothes. He grabbed them while exclaiming, "Oh no, Darcy! He saw me in my . . . underwear!" Spinner recoiled in guilt and surprise covering himself up in front of Darcy.

Darcy giggled playfully punching his arm, "C'mon, get up. Don't make me drag you out of bed." She grabbed his armed and refused to let go pulling him with all her might.

When he saw she was going nowhere, "I love seeing you try, baby."

Darcy beamed at that sweet little nothing he just called her, she liked it though. She wanted things to be smooth, sweet and uncomplicated. Never like before. She already knew the beginnings of their love were just a different time entirely. She swore that she wouldn't spoil it by bringing in religion, political or weird views. She wanted things to be open to no judgement. Free of inhibitions or fears, just as they were intended to be. She just hoped her father was a man of his word and wouldn't pry too hard on Spinner's life before Darcy. She will soon see if it was all for nothing.

Spinner put back on his shirt backwards by mistake, although he quickly made up for that while Darcy ran back to the kitchen to give her dear old dad some help in the kitchen. After he dressed in those dreaded nautical themed Nautica pajama set he sat at the breakfast table. "And why hello Spinner, could I get a look at that uh what is that?"

Spinner sighed as he lifted his arm to show them the tattoo on his bicep he lingered on the subject, "If you like that one I have three more. One on my back too."

"I won't ask you to strip, that is enough. Have a seat, Spinner, could I call you that or do you prefer Gavin?"

"I actually would love to be called Spinner, it's been my claim to fame since grade school." He observed Darcy reacting favorably to her father talking to Spinner. In the previous round of dating, Randy had barely wanted to meet him, let alone cook for him. It was Helen who let them into her home and Randy didn't like what he heard so when they dated again he banned him from the house. However that was years ago and things are different, his daughter is grown to make decisions of her very own.

"Do I need to know why?"

"I have ADHD, sir." Spinner answered he shrugged, "Before I had my meds . . would have a tendency to act a fool, is all."

"Oh, can call me, Randall, rather Randy. I'm not some stuffy dad-type."

"Thanks." Spinner warmly smiled.

"Eggs for you?" Mr. Edwards asked, gesturing to the pan.

"Yes please, Mr. Edwards, I mean Randy." He answered excitedly, he turned around to look at Darcy who was beaming observing the interaction, "Darcy, your dad made breakfast? He rocks."

"And I help." Darcy exclaimed excitedly stirring the pancake batter with a wooden spoon, "Pancakes for you as well?"

"Duh!" Spinner said rubbing his hands together causing friction with his excitement for a warm dish after a night of exercise, "Please."

The bacon splashed on the griddle as it fried beside the sausage links. It should be of note to mention the kitchen was state of the art for just a family condo not owned by anyone but the Edwards family that now consisted of Randy, Darcy and new addition Spinner. It was actually the perfect amount of space.

The kitchen was newly replaced with new stainless-steel appliances and a griddle beside the range. Everything was like clockwork, there is a cleaning woman who services the house and other houses nearby. Randy works a lot and it's hard for Darcy to assume all the household responsibilities after living in Kenya she didn't have much experience and the condo had always had a cleaning woman, her name is Elsa and she's from El Salvador. She's not very social, very shy and quiet. She just cleans and leaves and she likes to come by while no one is home. She comes every three days alternating Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the next week Tuesday and Thursday. She has the weekends off. Mr. Edwards used to have Elsa come to the suburban house he shared with his estranged ex-wife Helen but since he no longer lives there he no longer pays the bills so he has money to burn for other things in life. The money doesn't mean much to Mr. Edwards. He just likes being a simpleton. Helen and him never saw eye to eye like they did while they were young so eventually it was customary for them to go their separate ways and spare the children the burden of having bitter and bicker parents. With Darcy out of the house frequently and while in Kenya far away the burden mostly fell to youngest daughter Clare. The hard thing to split was the cat, Chester who willingly lived with Mr. Edwards in the condo. For awhile the cat was his only companion. He is more involved in Darcy's life and now the cat is sort of back burner but the cat sure loves Darcy. However since Spinner's arrival the cat also now likes to hide out in Spinner's room even though Spinner hasn't even noticed the little pur. He's gray and black with white feet. Chester is very shy around strangers or new people so this was Chester's little way of getting to know Spinner. Naturally small and slender, still appears to look like a kitten.

As Mr. Edwards started to move the cooked food to the kitchen table, Spinner helped them by getting out the plates and the cutlery. Both Darcy and her dad politely thanked him as they got ready to sit down for breakfast as they did things in their own way. This breakfast would be the first of many.

. . .

Manny awoke in the early morning, sleeping beside Craig, she quietly got up careful not to disturb him. She tip-toed to the kitchen and looked at herself in the mirror. Smudged make up, disheveled hair and slobber on her face. Not to mention her breath was atrocious after sipping far too many room-serviced champagnes with Craig. He wined her and dined her through the wee hours, just adding to her bus. They had sex, once with and once without a condom but he pulled out just in the nick of time. She was still sort of angry at him for being so careless after the one everyone knows about. Manny examined her neck and found a few unfortunate placed hickeys taking up a lot of her neck. She winced as she got a closer look to see if there was anything she could do. In the bathroom she noticed there was a coffee machine so she decided to make some hot tea, noticing teabags beside it. She heard this crazy thing from some TV quack who said that if you place hot tea bags on hickeys they could go away or the appearance will diminish or fade at a fast rate. So she decided to look into that myth. She was still dressed in last night's skimpy fuchsia dress and just looked like a lady of the her the association was uncanny and the similarities were somehow strikingly similar. It wasn't the first time she took a morning stroll to Emma's in a mid-buttoning of her top as she got dressed in the dark, rush job after sleeping with Craig her first time. Like this time, she was in the wrong. She still suffered the guilt complex and lingering feelings for Jay. It wasn't until after the sex, which was initially great but still, it wasn't until they were through, once she sobered up was when her mind would sail to Jay.

She sat down on the toilet just after the shut the door behind her. She took a piss, and slipped back on her black lace panties that Jay had bought her during a mall visit when he came out to LA to see her and they went to the biggest Victoria Secret shop ever. He also took her to Friedrick's of Hollywood and she tried on all sorts of sexy lingerie. Somehow even her panties would ring a bell. He couldn't afford big-ticket items but he did manage to buy her a Christmas thong with a bell between the ass cheeks that would jiggle if they were ever getting busy. She hadn't worn them all season, even though it was time to do so.

Perhaps she could pretend for a while, have her cake and eat it to. Ignore Craig until he took a hint all the while she'd reconcile with Jay and tell him nothing of the night before. All Jay knows is where things were left the night before. Emma could say she snuck of to Emma's out the window and not to Craig's open arms. Manny wished she never told Craig forever. She grimaced in the mirror about that stark revelation because there was a time for her when she would have said forever, but that isn't now, not after all that time all that bitter-sweet time and tenderness with Jay. She was stupid to take it all for granted but she had proven herself to constantly underestimate herself. She was horrible ever since she came home from the way she treated Sean, Emma and now most-recently Jay. Had she lost what made her Manny? Had being this big starlet seriously gotten into her head? She knew she had to do some soul searching alone this time around. Pretending now, that wouldn't be fair, she'd be impulsively acting just like Craig did with her. This was her first time she was unfaithful, completely to this degree with someone else and she never felt more alone, empty even. How would that cure her guilt, pretending? Wasn't that why she did this in the first place? Just simply pretending wasn't going to fix this. Would Jay even forgive her for this? Craig was the least for her worries, now. At this rate she wanted him far away. She is after-all, human and Craig outwardly rarely displayed guilt. Faithfulness wasn't his strong suit where with Jay it was everything to him. Manny heard movement in the bedroom, she adjusted her clothes and got modest for him combing her ratty mess of hair with her fingers looking in the mirror.

Craig rolled out of bed groggy and stumbled blindly to the bathroom as he came face to face with Manny washing her face of all her left over make up and racoon-eyes from the night before. She hadn't slept much and it was obvious that Craig slept soundly which added to the millions of reasons that he refuse to acknowledge the giant elephant in the room. In her reflection he took notice to the hickeys that grace Manny's neck wistfully, "I'm sorry, Manny. Off the top of my head I can't think of any remedies."

She gasped breaking out of her thoughts with wide eyes, in surprise before she spun around sputtering, "You scared the ever-living shit out of me. How are you baby?"

"Is that what you're going to call me now on?"

"Do you like it?"

"Like it? I love it."

Manny smiled, her dimples shining on through as she led him in the bathroom, "I'm trying this old remedy to remove the hickeys." Manny took a good hard look at him, eyeing him as he spun around modeling for her without a shirt on, "I see I've left some presents on you too."

Craig checked his neck but then turned to his shoulders in the bathroom mirror and cracked up laughing, "You missed by a lot, it's okay nothing that clothes can't hide."

"As I do the walk of shame."

"To where?"

"To Emma's." Manny sighed exasperated after her confession. As the water heated up she poured it into the mug and put in a tea bag. She bobbed it up and down to let it get more heat applied to it before she'd put it to her neck.

"I could hire a cabby to take you back." Craig supposed hopelessly.

"I couldn't let you do that. Not the first time this has happened to me."

Craig laughed as he thought back to the night almost ten years ago where they lost their virginity on the couch in the garage. Afterward she in some sort of hurry got re-dressed, while blushing at the time, she kept looking at him hoping to get him to talk. She got sort of emotional afterwards but he had assured her worries are valid and they would be taken care of in due didn't think she thought it would go this far. He didn't think so either but he was glad that it did. He had a funny way of repaying her for her sacrifices.

She took that as things were going to be okay between them and that he will eventually dump Ashley in favor of her. However that isn't how things unfortunately played out. She modestly got dressed in front of her, stuffing her enormous breasts in a push up bra and swiftly putting on and re-buttoned up her red or magenta dress shirt with the flare in the wrists. It looked corny. She was hot. What did her attire matter when he had gotten her out of it just as fast as she dressed herself completely before his eyes. He wasn't nearly as invested in Manny just yet, he was still knee-deep in Ashley's love. He gave her a kiss as she left, before she left she said something most chilling when he offered to walk her home, "I couldn't let you do that. Let me alone."

Back to present day, Craig was smacked with the realization that anything that Emma says would be ultimately a threat to their relationship, regardless of new-found or not real. In actuality Emma has been support of Manny's wanderings but she hopes that Manny would finally eventually choose Jay and leave Craig behind once and for all. Which is more than likely Craig's fear felt too little too late.

As Manny sipped the tea she removed the teabag, wrapping it around a spoon and touched it to her neck. She held it there for a few minutes before she threw the bag in the wastebasket. She waved and bid him goodbye. He asked for a kiss, she obliged hoping that he would stop giving her those puppy dog eyes in the name of her going away. As she shut the door behind her he realized once again he was alone.

Manny walked out of the hotel and got a collection of scoffs and glares from her look. She knew that Jay's house was closer to the hotel but she would rather go to Emma's than to Jay's, not after last night and not especially after having sex with her ex Craig. As beautiful as it was the guilt eats her up alive. She hoped that Emma wouldn't ask any questionable questions about the night before.

As Manny with her house key opened the door she couldn't help but overhear a lot of clattering coming from the back bedroom. She heard the bed moving and hitting the wall hard and Emma screaming with pleasure repeating over and over, "Oh babe, yes."

Manny rolled her eyes throwing her purse on the coffee table and quickly collapsing on the bed. Covering her ears with the sea green and black pillows that decorate the couch. She heard more moaning from both Sean and Emma and quickly turned on the television. She heard them whisper, she heard Emma pounce to the door and call out, she wrung her neck out the door to observe, "Manny is that you?"

Manny didn't move from the couch, she barely made out a spot for herself, she was closing her eyes, her head was pounding and she hated how she was feeling everything in this moment. "Yeah, could you keep it down I have a hangover to sleep off."

"I thought you'd be at Jay's, we'll be out in a minute." Emma called from the bedroom before she focused her attention back to Sean, whispering, "Sorry, baby."

Manny sarcastically rolled her eyes, calling back loud from the living room in a sing-song voice, "Take your time. It's not like you have a guest here or anything."

She heard them devilishly laugh as she focused on the television and less of her best friend of a sisterly variety getting her brains fucked out by her high school Romeo. She deliberately turned up the volume as she saw fit, every time she'd hear a noise from that back bedroom she'd hike it up. It became a little game to her.

Emma resumed tackling Sean back onto the bed, he laid back as she pounced on top of him, he winced a bit but was trying to regain his breath and strength which was faltering. Since they arrived back home they've been at work making each other scream. They were on realistically the third round practically, that was until before Manny walked in and spoiled the fun. Emma bit her lip as she laid on Sean's chest, as she traced the letters of her name in his poorly rendered tattoo of her first name, "Is that supposed to be my signature or yours?"

"Oh, no." Sean shook his head, "Maybe the tattoo guy's but it is for you. I paid only like forty-five dollars for it, so I didn't expect much. I wish I got a better rendering."

Emma was still entranced in Sean exhausted from the all night party in the bedroom, she just simply looked at him, not batting an eye tilting her head as she caressed him wandering his body with her hands, cuddling up close, her knees were hitting his legs as well.

"I love you, gorgeous." Sean softly whispered, sweetly to Emma as her finger reached his lips he pretended to knawl her finger off but she pulled away fast enough for him to wind up biting his tongue, exclaiming seconds later, "Ow!"

"Sorry." Emma said flirtatious begging him with her remark for more action, "Are you too tired now?"

"No, I just feel bad, Manny is in there by herself. Why don't we put a pot on and we talk to her?"

Emma shrugged rolling her eyes, "Fine." As she retrieved her kimono she slipped it over her slender figure as and tied the bow eying Sean.

"Don't do that, we've done that all night, let's give our bodies a rest. I know I'll be sore later on."

"Oh right, because your day is just far from over, at the gym."

"Pumping iron is the way to be." Sean said cradling his arms around his head as a pillow from the bed.

"Constantly in pain? That's how I feel after I've lifted." Emma said as she opened the door walking over to Manny who looked about as disheveled as she did. "You look like shit, what happened last night.? Did Jay get sick?"

Manny shook her head staring blankly ahead looking over at a concerned Emma who sat beside her. She had tears in her eyes.

Although through her tears that had not yet started to fall, she told her in a round-about manner what was going on in her mind, "Jay and I had a fight, and then we broke up." Manny answered with tears in her eyes, "Craig had texted me earlier tonight, that he was in town and I stupidly called him, I went to his hotel room and then one thing led to another and then we had sex. I won't lie that I liked it. I just afterwards I couldn't even enjoy it though, I couldn't enjoy it in his company and I was fated to pretend." She blinked back tears sniffling, "I guess your night went pretty swell."

"You had sex with Craig?" Emma questioned her eyes wide, "Why? I thought you were cooling it -"

"Besides, Jay -"

"Only has eyes for you."

"He broke it off with me. Emma, it was bad, we said horrible things to each other. There's just no way." Manny said blinking back inevitable falling tears, "I was lying in bed at Jay's feeling trapped and caged and I ran away to something, hopefully better. I'm taking this seriously, Emma. I love Craig, I've loved him forever and I care about Jay too. I just feel like I make the worst decisions."

"I have to hand it to you, that there, two horrendously bad decisions." Emma answered slyly shrugging her shoulders, "If you ask me, you really done gotten yourself into a pickle, my lady. If you want my advice, I'd say you come clean to Jay, about everything. Since you've told Craig pretty much everything that matters."

"But Emma, it's . . . really bad. Really, really bad. I don't know if he'll ever forgive me bad. I did something really damn bad." Manny repeated over again twice, "I don't know how I'm going to break this gently."

"Gently might be best but with Jay, I don't know how he'll react."

Manny shrugged uncomfortably, "I guess I know him best in this, it's best to just leave him alone when he's angry and I know he'll be so angry with me."

"So angry he might tell you to fuck off?" Emma asked.

When Emma asked the question, the sad brunette replied, "That's what I'm honestly afraid of."

Emma motioned for her best friend to come a bit closer and she draped her arms around her tight as she let out the tears she had been keeping. As Manny inched closer she was able to catch a glimpse at her hickey black and blue marks on her neck. She gave Manny the reality check she might not have been ready for, "Not until you cover those up, take a shower and pray to God the smell of alcohol and sweat of bad decisions rub off painlessly and easily."

Manny made a face but couldn't exactly argue with the obvious state of affairs, she restlessly nestled her head in Emma's shoulder crying out loud, "I'm so stupid! I am literally the worst."

"Chickie, you're my best friend and maybe things won't be ideal but they'll be alright." Emma told her calmly.

Emma looked up at Emma with tears in her eyes, "I have to be honest with him."

Emma patted and soothed Manny's back calmly as she fell onto her and held her close in a friendly hug, she continued patting her as Manny cried in her arms. For someone who twenty-four hours ago seemed to have had her life put together on what and how she wanted things she seemed to be completely clueless in this moment. She just couldn't find anything that would ever make up for any of what she had done that night to make it through okay. Her first mistake was to ask Jay if he loved her and her most recent mistake was sleeping with Craig only to find out that she truly loved Jay in the morning. She wanted to work things out, but now she knew she had not one but two crosses to bear and two hearts to unfortunately break. Emma sighed wishing there was something she could do to stop the uncontrollable sobs coming from her friend who had always had the worst luck and choices in romance. She just soothed her until Manny eventually listened to her nuggets of wisdom and got ready to face the music with Jay.

Emma fumbled around for her phone while Sean dressed up in the bedroom or had managed to catch some rest early in the morning. Emma figured, she was up now for good. She decided to make herself some coffee in her Keurig. As Manny showered she sat herself on the ground and let the rainy mist of the showers take her away to serenity. Emma had vanilla scented body care items so Manny took her time applying them to her hoping she could smell as ever-pristine as she when she left the house. She let her filth and guilt wash away from her body as she held onto her legs to her chest tightly not letting go, continuing crying as she waited for her hair to fully rinse. Emma walked into the bedroom while she waited for coffee to grind as she pulled out some clothes for Manny to put on for now, something that didn't scream this totally belongs to Manny something simple, not too try hard but rather something calm something that Emma would wear. She picked up a lavender dress shirt with flowers on it, white satin accenting and a pair of jeans. She folded them neatly and tapped on the bathroom door, "Here are some clothes alright?"

Manny poked her head out of the shower getting up. Emma saw she had sat for likely some time. Emma neatly stacked them on the top of the toilet and left her to finish up. Emma had seen that Manny already had a towel so she just put it back where she had originally found it. Emma liked to keep her house in tip-top shape. Never was the laundry late nor a trinket out-of-place. Her bathroom was of no exception. Emma would spend Saturday's scrubbing to keep things polished and clean as a whistle just so. Something she unfortunately gets used to chaos when Manny comes around like the messy whirlwind she is. She truthfully hated dorming with her because of her messiness and her laziness about cleaning up. All the while she will always love her best friend she was there throughout and even before all the boys especially Sean. This was her chance to give back to her.